Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 26 Jan 2000

Vol. 513 No. 1

Written Answers. - Higher Education Grants.

Paul Bradford

Ceist:

701 Mr. Bradford asked the Minister for Education and Science if the scheme of higher education grants for the academic year 2000-01 will issue to the local authorities before Easter 2000 in view of the fact this would help ensure early progress on the processing of applications. [1078/00]

Minister for Education and Science (Mr. Martin):

Every effort will be made to ensure that this year's student support schemes, including the higher education grants scheme, issue to the relevant local authorities and vocational education committees by end April/early May 2000.

For the first time last year, a composite application form and notes for all four student support schemes was introduced and supplied to the grant awarding authorities. Prior to that, each authority bore the responsibility of having their own application forms and notes printed. The application form and notes were redesigned by a working group comprising representatives of various local authorities, vocational education committees and my Department's student support unit. Building on this development, a similar working group is currently designing a composite information leaflet which it is intended will, in association with the application form and notes, be widely circu lated in tandem with the issue of the 2000 student support schemes.

I would also draw the Deputy's attention to a further relevant development, namely the inclusion for the first time, of a leaflet on the financial supports available to students attending third level courses, with the CAO handbook 2000.